STATEMENTS strangely erroneous, and calculated to do much injury, from time to time appear in public papers, in regard to the expensiveness of foreign missionary operations. Thus it has been recently announced that "it costs seventy-five cents to send a dollar to the heathen"; and the advice is therefore given to spend the dollar for heathen at home. What, now, are the facts? The Treasurer finds them to be thus: For the last five years the average annual expenses of the American Board for agencies, publications, and home administration, (salaries of Secretaries and Treasurer, clerk-hire, postage, incidentals, &c.,) have amounted to eight and three eighths per cent. of the receipts, -eight and three eighths instead of seventy-five cents to the dollar! In 1861, the Board, at its annual meeting, appointed an able committee, (consisting of Judge Jessup, Governor Buckingham, Hon. Homer Bartlett, Dr. Bacon, Judge Strong, Frederick Starr, Esq., Dr. J. F. Stearns, and John Kingsbury, Esq.,) "to review the expenditures and finances of the Board." The next year, after thorough investigation, Dr. Bacon, in behalf of that committee, presented a report, in which it was stated to " appear that scarcely more than six per cent. of the income is expended in the work of raising funds, of communi cating with contributors and auxiliaries, and of awakening and sustaining missionary zeal in all parts of the country; so that nearly ninety-four per cent. of the income from all sources remains to be expended directly in the work of selecting and sending forth missionaries to the heathen, and of sustaining and enlarging the missions." In this calculation, the committee, very properly, considered the salary of the Foreign Secretary, a part of that of the Treasurer, and a part of the various incidental expenses, as belonging to the foreign rather than the home department of the work; but in the estimate of the Treasurer for the last five years, presented above, all expenses of administration are included, to make up the eight and three eighths per cent. If any one should suppose that the assertion, "it costs seventy-five cents to get a dollar to the heathen," has reference to the cost of remitting, it may be said in reply, that this would indicate still greater ignorance of facts. Remittances are made in the same way as by our merchants engaged in foreign trade, —just as readily, just as safely, just as cheaply,—by bills of exchange, and drafts on the Board's bankers in London, (Messrs. Baring Brothers & Co.,) sold readily in all great centres of trade throughout the world, sometimes at a small discount, sometimes for a premium,—always at the highest market rate. The committee above referred to closed their report, in 1862, with the following statement of "two significant facts, which seem worthy of grateful commemoration." "I. The sum total of our receipts, from donations and legacies, in fifty-two years, is $9,103,276,—giving the average annual income of $175,063. It is with the material resources represented by these figures, that the Board has accomplished, by the blessing of God on its labors, those great things for the advancement of the gospel, which are already spoken of throughout the world to the glory of the Saviour. "II. It does not appear that of this amount, contributed by Christian love and zeal for the foreign missions under our care, one dollar has ever been lost by unfaithfulness, incapacity, or negligence in the financial management of the Board. Let us thank God for the past, and take courage for the future." "HELP THOSE WOMEN." So wrote Paul of his faithful helpers in the work of evangelization,-"Help those women which labored with me in the gospel." So would we plead for those women who, for the love of Christ, have left home and friends, and gone forth to labor for the spiritual welfare of their sex abroad. The position of a married woman in a heathen land is sufficiently trying, that of a single woman is still more so. Yet five widows, whose husbands have fallen in the service of the Board, remain to complete their work, and find rich compensation for the loss of home society and the peculiar trials of their position, in the blessed results of their efforts to commend the gospel to the degraded women around them. In a few months, (including four under appointment to go out in the early spring,) there will be some thirty single ladies connected with the missions of the Board, the larger part engaged in boarding-schools for girls and young women, in which the prime object is instruction in the gospel and in the arts and usages of Christian life; while some will devote themselves to more direct missionary labor in visiting from house to house. There can be no more effective method of promoting the cause of Christ among a heathen people, than to give a Christian training to the future wives and mothers of the leading men. We do not here speak of labors for the same object on the part of the wives of the missionaries, but of this large number of single ladies, engaged in missionary work; and we ask for them the lively Christian sympathy and the prayers of their own sex at home. A remarkable revival occurred in the female seminary at Oroomiah, during a season of special prayer in its behalf at Mount Holyoke. So may the blessing of the Holy Spirit be granted elsewhere in answer to the prayer of faith, and thus effectual help be rendered to these women who are laboring in the gospel. If any desire to devote their contributions specially to Christian work among the women in heathen lands, whether by the support of any of these female missionaries or of the schools in their charge, of pupils in them or of Bible-readers under their direction, they can do so, and a separate acknowledgment will be made in the Herald, and as far as possible by letters from the missionaries. LETTERS FROM THE MISSIONS. Western Turkey Mission. PHILIPPOPOLIS. character of these populations demands immediate effort for their good. All nationalities are waking to a new life. A (European Turkey, 225 miles W. N. W. of Con- few years since, no mail came to this city; stantinople.) LETTER FROM MR. CLARKE, September 28, 1867. THE publication of extracts from this letter has been necessarily deferred, but they are of value still, pointing to reasons for increasing effort in the Bulgarian portion of the mission field; presenting grounds for hope that such effort will not be in vain; and indicating a warm earnestness of Christian feeling in the writer, which, it may be hoped, will be communicated to some among the readers. Our brother notices the close of the year in the school at Philippopolis, with a public and cheering examination; indications that the school "has been laying a good foundation for the progress of divine truth;" the hopeful conversion of six pupils; and the prospect of a considerable increase of pupils for the coming year. Then, passing to other matters, he mentions now, three weekly mails and a telegraph connect us with Constantinople and Belgrade, and Bulgarian and Greek merchants have correspondence with and order their goods directly from Paris, London, and Manchester. As yet this city is not connected with any other place, not even with the nearest village, by a permanent road, but all roads are varied according to the convenience of those through whose fields they pass. Roads are in progress, however, which will shorten, by one half, the time of traveling to Constantinople or Belgrade; and from the steps taken by the Sultan since his return from Europe, there is a probability that a railroad also, passing near all our stations, will soon connect these two cities. "The Bulgarians are, of all others, most interested in the settlement of the Eastern question; and the same characteristics which have made them restless under Greek ecclesiastical dominion, and desir Progress in Bulgaria. "The changing ous of education, are still at work among them; and they are intensely seeking the further development of their nation. Their young men imbibe the spirit of freedom from their growing intercourse with European nations, and especially from their increased knowledge of America since the great rebellion. Papal and Infidel Influences. "This restless, active spirit ought to be met by a vigorous and earnest prosecution of the gospel work. Rome is entrenched already among the people, with a force of priests in this city and some of the surrounding villages, and has one of the finest churches in the city, and good buildings for male and female schools. "Infidel France has many of its representatives here, whose influence is complemented by free-thinking young Bulgarians, educated there, and especially by a large number of the teachers, who, despising their own empty formalism, to which they still cling in order to retain their positions, have become really infidel, and use their influence to undermine the power of the Bible. It is important that Christians who desire the salvation of this nation should now be earnestly at work. "We have many Encouragements. reasons for encouragement. The natural character of the people is far more guileless and noble than that of the Greeks, in whose power they have so long been. Our experience in the schools, and in intimate intercourse with the people, gives us a good degree of confidence in their na tive truthfulness and honesty. More than twenty-five persons, chiefly in connection with the schools, give good evidence of piety. Many of these have borne persecution, and some have been earnest laborers for Christ, and have had a wide influ in connection with each of the Bulgarian mission stations, and it is said: "It seems impossible to give up any one of these stations without much loss. If the church of Christ is growing weaker; if no more missionaries can be found to strengthen the stations now commenced; it will be better to concentrate rather than break down. But such is not the case. The piety of the American church is growing aggressive, and the true prosperity of the church at home requires that many of her strongest men should go to destitute parts of the earth. In the Armenian mission, the true plan, of raising up a native agency, is bearing good fruit. We are working on the same plan, but we are among a people of a high standard of education, with, as yet, no Christian churches, and few Christian young men. European influences, adverse to the gospel, are rolling in upon them, and years must pass before a native force at all adequate to the necessity can be raised up. There is, therefore, pressing work, which will perhaps last for the lifetime of one set of missionaries. Increasing Hostility. "At Eski Zagra, and in other parts of our field, the opposition is increasing because of the fact that Protestant influence is gaining ground, and some are thinking of the truth where the people had thought themselves safe. More and more I feel, that the changes that must soon take place in European Turkey make it strongly desirable that our mission should be placed on a firm basis, by the coming of more missionaries. The present need in India and China is greater, but it seems to me that the probable position of European Turkey in years to come, makes it needful to occupy this ground now. "Recent news from Panagureshte and Tartar Pazarjik show that the truth is advancing and opposition increasing. In the former place several had taken so decided a stand against the church errors, and for taking the Bible as a standard, that the village council took up the matter. One of their number, who a year ago was an opposer of Protestantism, now openly favored it. He was removed from the council, and orders were given that no one should trade with the Protestants, or supply them with food. At the ovens, where all baking is done, they were refused. Their cattle were not allowed to be pastured with the common herds, which in this country are all fed on grounds belonging to the village in common, no man having separate grounds, — and several of the leading young men who were favorable to the truth were taken separately into a room with the head men of the village, and so threatened that they signed a paper to the effect that they will have nothing to do with the Protestants. The one expelled from the village council has since called on us here. He is not at rest, nor are the others. They feel that they have forsaken the right. After two weeks I hope to visit the place. high school, while the others are mostly graduates of the Aintab female seminary. One more young man, of excellent, devoted spirit, had come to fit himself for usefulness, but after a few weeks was suddenly removed by death, being drowned while bathing in the Jihan river. The Students. "We are very much pleased with the students. I think it would be hard to find a finer lot of young men, for ability or Christian character. The unmarried students from abroad have had some difficulties to contend with in the way of providing for themselves; but the matter having been laid before the women at Marash, twelve families agreed to undertake the washing, mending, and baking for one student each, and so provided for all who were thus needy. They are scattered over the city in rented houses, and will be more comfortable if we can provide them dormitories in connection with a new seminary building. "The Pastor of the first church, who commenced his labors as pastor at our annual meeting, has gone on his way in the most satisfactory manner, and is developing an executive talent that is very encouraging. I think the esteem for him among the people is constantly increasing, and his labors are certainly faithful and earnest. The second church are still straining every nerve to complete their church building, and we trust will enter it before winter Zeitoon Government Action. "The work has made decided progress in Zeitoon, although, in consequence of the violence experienced last year, for which we are still endeavoring to obtain redress from a very reluctant and most unscrupulous Government, we have not had any laborer there. Still the two brethren of last year have labored in secret, and one by one their number increased, till they came to be ten or twelve men, who cut themselves off from their old church and met every Sabbath, and often during the week, for reading the Scriptures and prayer, and began to be known by everybody as Protestants. For a long time they were con we had only eight, and could only hope that this number would be a little more than doubled. We have, in fact, a fourfold increase. This increase is not largely from Marash, but — which is more cheering-from other places; viz., ten from the Aintab field, seven from the Oorfa field, two from Adana, and two from Kessab; of whom, with the ten from Marash, making thirty-one in all, — eight are married. The wives of some attend the girls' stant in their entreaties for a preacher, |